Houston, it’s almost time for Daddy’s Chicken Shack! Houston will become home to the brand’s second location in mid-August, pending any possible supply chain issues. The space at 11th St. and Shepherd Dr. will be the brand’s state-of-the-art, corporate-owned flagship location.
Executive Chef Pace Webb, CEO and Co-founder, opened Daddy’s Chicken Shack with her husband, Chris Georgalas, in California in 2018. The brand has one location in Pasadena, California and franchises planned for other cities—10 in Denver, 10 in Scottsdale, and 20 in Los Angeles. Daddy’s Chicken Shack uses the regional developer model for franchising and is currently looking for franchisees in Houston.
“I’m from Houston, and that’s kind of where I developed my love of fried food. We’ve got lots of diverse cuisine here, but I think this brand will do really well because it is a Texas brand,” Webb said, adding it has a little California sunshine to it.
The flagship Houston Daddy’s Chicken Shack will be located in a former dry cleaner business at 1223 W. 11th St. They were initially looking at a place off Westheimer, but the space fell through. “When something doesn’t work out, it’s just not meant to be, and that’s okay,” Webb said. Georgalas’ connection at Braun Enterprises told them about the standalone drive-thru at 11th and Shepherd, and they got some advice from their investor and founder of RE/MAX, Dave Liniger. Webb said he told them to take the space and add a training office in the back. “He sees the vision. He’s a visionary,” she said.
“We really feel strongly that our flagship location, it’s got to be in a great location,” Webb said. “Location is really everything. It’s the first step to getting good sales and being successful and obviously deliver on all the other things.” The restaurant will be 2,400 square feet, and a 1,000-square-foot training office for the franchise will be in the rear.
Webb developed the original Big Daddy for an event for her fine dining catering business back in 2013. The double-dredged fried chicken on a brioche bun with Sriracha mayo and a Thai-style tangy slaw was a hit. “It was a sensation that night. People were losing their minds, and I was like, ‘Maybe I have something here, okay.’ I think some of the best things in life happen so organically and serendipitously, and that was definitely one of them,” Webb told What Now Houston.
Webb and her husband met in 2015, and he urged her to do something with this sandwich. They founded Daddy’s Chicken Shack and expanded the menu. “I kept with the theme of Southern ingredients and Southeast Asian ingredients, so the whole menu is mostly a combination of those two. So, technically it’s a fusion menu with the exception of a few items that are just strictly American like the All American Daddy and the Nashville Daddy.” There are four levels of spices to choose for the Nashville Daddy, and mild has become a favorite for Webb.
Those two are part of the four main sandwiches on the menu, which also includes her original sandwich, the Big Daddy and then the Spicy Daddy, which has a combination of seven different Southeast Asian spices doused on the fried chicken with fresh ginger mayo and fresh cilantro.
Webb won’t allow customers to add cheese to the Big Daddy or the Spicy Daddy. Her husband suggested that she listen to her customer requests, so she agreed that diners can add cheese to the Nashville and All American. “We had to loosen it up a little bit to give folks what they want and also put out something that I thought had high integrity,” Webb said. You can also try a slider, chicken fingers, or salads if you prefer. Daddy’s Chicken Shack also serves breakfast items such as burritos and chicken biscuits.
With her childhood spent in Houston, Webb is happy to be back in Texas to open the restaurant. “My mom was an actress at the Alley Theatre, so I feel like I’ve been so engrained in Houston growing up,” she said, “it’s such a part of me. Then 20 years later coming back to The Heights, specifically, it’s changed so much.”
Webb feels comfortable coming back to Houston for their first big project in the city. “It sets me at ease a little bit to have so many friends and acquaintances that I’ve kept in touch with over the years that I know would be big supporters of the brand.”
Article correction: They serve breakfast burritos, not tacos. The restaurant is not 3,800 square feet. The restaurant will be 2,400 square feet, and a 1,000-square-foot training office for the franchise will be in the rear.
